Loss to KKR will not affect semi-final chances: Fleming

The stunning loss to Kolkata Knight Riders will not hurt Chennai Super Kings' semifinal chances, insists coach Stephen Fleming, who says the defeat has actually helped as the players are now out their comfort zones.

"We are still in a good position. Looking at the table, there has got to be a lot of things work against us for us not to go through, that's without winning the match," Fleming said.

"We have personal pride in terms of that performance, we want to finish well with a win to get up the table. But as far as the competition goes we are still in a healthy position," he added.

Fleming said Chennai are obviously disappointed at going down to a team that had lost eight consecutive matches before last night.

"We didn't take it that lightly. We knew they were going to be dangerous because they have nothing to lose. I think the biggest feeling we have is disappointment. That weren't able to execute any plans or any accuracy with the ball to be able to shut the game down.

"The disappointment is there. And that could be a good thing going into the semifinal, if we play well in the last game, then the players certainly won't be comfortable about their performances. Being in an uncomfortable state is a good thing," he said.

Fleming, however, lay the blame of last night's defeat on bowlers, who failed to defend a fairly competitive 189. "It is the best we have got and we weren't at our best. I had hoped for better. The dangerous thing with Kolkata Knight Riders was that they had nothing to lose. And the way the likes of Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge play.

"When you get a big score on the board, it almost forces a team to throw caution to the wind. And that I think was the danger. We weren't accurate as we could be with the cricket ball. We were disappointed that we couldn't defend that score certainly," he said.

"Matt's got a slight strain in his quad which he picked up in the last game. And the scan revealed that today. We were hoping that it was more bruising but there is a slight tear there. We are hoping with a bit of rest that he would be ripe whether it's for the next game or the semifinals," he said.

"We will be very cautious with our approach for him and we will be aggressive in our treatment. Cautious with our approach because he is certainly vital to our chances of winning this competition," he added.

The tournament has been witness to some poor fielding by all participating teams and Fleming said it was nothing but pressure that was getting the better of fielders.

"I think it's a bit of pressure. There is a lot of pressure on the guys when they are playing. The conditions, the dark night means that it is very hard to get a focus on the pace of the ball. And that's caused little bit of concern. But basically it's just the pressure.

"The fact that experienced guys are making mistakes just shows that there is a lot of feeling out there. And catches are crucial. Players know the importance of when every ball goes up in the air completing that catch it's very high. To me that's the main reason," he said.